Momma didn't raise no punk. What's happened is a sad situation. If you say anything else, I am walking out the door and there will be no more communication with you on the matter." It was quiet on the other end for a moment. Then he spoke again. "Okay, I'll go along with you, but let's keep our heads low for a while until things cool off. You can do all of the talking for now. I'll meet you somewhere tomorrow." "Okay, I'll be here. Just keep my name out of it and we'll be cool." "Yeah, let's not draw any attention to our relationship. We'll play it cool for a while," he stated. "What do you mean, us?" "Yeah, baby, you and me are going to be linked in the public eye. After a while, there will be nothing that anybody can say to change my mind. I can't wait." "Cool, we can play the game until the time comes, then let our love blossom and show the world how we feel," she responded. "Yes, baby, I'm so proud of you and it just makes me love you more. Love you, baby." "I love you too. Kisses, kiss, love, love." * * * * * Laurie awoke the next morning with a heavy sense of dread. She was happy that she and Spike had come to an understanding. She realized she needed his support in addition to her own, but as she lay there thinking about it, she couldn't get her mind to think beyond that night. There was something wrong. The dread had a reason that she couldn't identify. She tossed and turned, trying to sleep, until it became too late. She went into her kitchen and started to prepare a simple breakfast. Sitting at the table, Laurie realized how empty her stomach felt. A wave of nausea overwhelmed her, making her gag, as she vomited several times. She tried to make it to the bathroom, but could not make it. She threw up on the floor and on the chair. She vomited over and over until there was nothing left in her stomach. The only thing that she could find was a glass of water and a bottle of Tums. After several Tums, she felt better. For the first time in days she had a real appetite and made a huge breakfast. She sat down at the table and ate two pieces of toast and two large bowls of cereal. Even with all of the food, her stomach felt empty. She left the food on the table and took the empty water glass to the sink. Sitting at the table, she looked at herself in the bathroom mirror. The bruises had begun to darken with color. _Maybe I got too heavy too soon,_ she thought as she studied the spots. She took a long hot shower and as the hot water ran down her body, it soothed her. The hot water soothed her soul. The shower finished, Laurie toweled off and wrapped herself in a robe. Before going back to bed she grabbed another glass of water and some Tums. She took the pills and sat down at the table. Laurie knew that she needed to get out of the house. * * * * * As I slept I received a dream that was so real, it seemed as if I was there in that house with my mother. Laurie had a nightmare. She didn't want to talk about the horror she had faced in her dream. Every time I asked her about it she would tell me it was a bad dream and not to bring it up. I couldn't bring myself to call her by that name. It was so strange hearing her say it, that I wondered if it was just her using that name to refer to her. The name seemed so unnatural for me to hear. The other name she used was the name of a stranger. I couldn't stand it. I just wanted to be close to her. I could imagine what it must have been like for her in this house knowing her name was Laurie. On the day of the funeral, my thoughts focused on Laurie and her safety. I did not know the truth about her until yesterday. I wanted to know if she was truly safe in my grandmother's house. Maybe this terrible tragedy would be a blessing in disguise for me, and I could begin to have my mother back again. After a short argument between my aunt and uncle, I realized there was no way I would allow them to arrange anything. I realized that the only way I could see my mother was to be strong. I wanted to hold onto her and tell her how much she meant to me, and that I was glad she was in Heaven. My sister and I stood at the gravesite. The day was hot, the funeral over. For some reason it was as if she were watching from above. I felt so sad. I turned and gave a smile to her. She didn't respond. I felt a wave of sadness sweep over me. When I turned back to look at my mommy, she wasn't there. I felt sad and angry, not only because I lost her, but because I didn't have her to hold on to and she wasn't there for me to console and comfort me. I turned to leave the grave site and to leave the cemetery. As I looked down at the ground, I saw a piece of her hair lying on the grass. The sight of it made me cry out of sadness and anger. I ran back to the grave site with the headstone in my hand. I didn't care anymore that it was broken or damaged. I didn't care that it was just a headstone. I picked up the dirt and the fragments of concrete that were mixed with her name and put it back in the ground. I dug with my hands until the headstone was back in place. It was a long process for me to see her again. Each time she left me I knew I was ready to give up. I knew it was selfish of me to expect to hold her for the rest of my life. If she was going to stay with me, I would have to take care of her, make her love me. When I put all of this together, I could see how close it was to me, just out of my reach. I knew I was close to losing everything, and I would have to act before it was too late. I had to do something fast. After the funeral, the next thing I thought of was the secret of the box. I didn't know who I could turn to. No one. There was no one left to help me. My uncle had to go back to his store. I ran into the hallway. I looked at the two secret rooms. The first thing I looked at was the safe room. Then I saw a small black box. It had a pull chain and a key. It didn't have any windows or doors that I could see. There were several large drawers, each with a combination lock. It looked like an office safe, but smaller. I pulled out the drawer with the box and was curious to know what it contained. I held it in my hand and lifted the lid. As I looked inside, my eyes grew wide. It was filled with old pictures, many of which I could see through the yellowed edges, were black and white pictures of my mother and I, and family members. There were several newspaper clippings about my family. There was a picture of me and my mother in matching bridesmaid's outfits with my grandmother. I could see that the pictures had been taken several years ago. I looked over the dates and realized they had been taken after my mother and I moved into the house. I felt a chill go down my spine when I looked at the next piece of paper. It had dates on it. _That day, that was the day that my grandmother died. My mother had hidden this box for her and me._ I felt the horror of this situation come over me. I was just an innocent little girl, looking for my mother to hold and comfort me, and I had no way to tell my mother that I loved her. I walked into the room and closed the door. I tried to think of a way that I could ask someone if it was okay to go through the contents of the safe. My thought was to ask the police, but I knew that wouldn't work. They probably wouldn't see what was in the box as relevant to the case. That left only one place I could go, the only person I knew who was a true professional and who might understand. As I walked out of the room, my eyes fell on the yellowed box with the hand-written title, _Lionel's Daughter._ In that moment the fear came over me. I didn't know if the contents were related to the secret. I didn't know if this could be the secret the sheriff was searching for, if this could be something that would hurt my grandmother. I didn't know if this would uncover the truth. The last thing I wanted was to discover that the box was truly the secret that my grandmother had spent a lifetime trying to hide. I put the box down and moved to the top of the stairs. My hand went to my heart and pressed hard. I could feel that it was beating hard. As I let go of my breath, I took one last look at